Multi-mode illumination system

Abstract

A multi-mode illumination system, including: a first illumination module; a second illumination module; and a third illumination module, as disclosed herein.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A multi-mode illumination system for imaging, comprising:
 a bright-field illumination module, comprising:
 a first light source; and 
 a right-angle prism; 
   a fluorescent excitation illumination module, comprising:
 a second light source; 
 a parabolic reflector; 
 an excitation optical filter; and 
 an emission optical filter; 
   a non-coherent illumination module, comprising:
 a third light source; 
 a light extraction plate; 
 a light diffuser; and 
 an optical filter. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the third light source of non-coherent illumination module is embedded in the light extraction plate. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , the optimized length of the leg of the right-angle prism is 10 mm. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the light diffuser is put on top of the light extraction plate, and the optical filter is put on top of the light diffuser and the right-angle prism is put on top of the optical filter. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the centers of the right-angle prism are aligned with the center of field of view of the first imager and the first light source of bright-field illumination module, respectively. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the distance between the center of the right-angle prism and the center of the field of view of the first imager is smaller than 1 mm. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the distance between the center of the right-angle prism and the center of the first light source of bright-field illumination module is smaller than 1 mm. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the placement of the parabolic reflector is configured to direct the light emitted from the second light source of the fluorescent illumination module towards the second imager in an oblique angle which is larger than the collection angle of the second imager. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the optimized distance between the right-angle prism and the optical filter is as close as possible. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the distance between the right-angle prism and the optical filter can be 0.1 mm, 1 mm, 2 mm, 5 mm, and in a range between any of those two values. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the optimized distance between the optical filter and the light diffuser is as close as possible. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the distance between the optical filter and the light diffuser is 0.1 mm, 1 mm, 2 mm, 5 mm, and in a range between any of those two values. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the optimized distance between the light diffuser and the light extraction plate is as close as possible. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the right-angle prism redirects the bright-field illumination light emitted from the first light source to the first imager. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the light extracted from the light emitting surface of the light extraction plate penetrates through the right-angle prism towards the third imager of the non-coherent illumination module. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the dimension of the leg of the right-angle prism in the field of view on imager is larger than the shortest lateral dimension of the field of view of imager. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the light extraction plate has light scattering structures on the surface that extract light and the light scattering structures are random textured surfaces, periodic gratings, painted white dots, or micro/nano-size particles.